It’s midsummer with temperatures in excess of 100 degrees, and high school football teams are sweating through conditioning drills, and weightlifting as well as playing in 7-on-7 tournaments.

“This week has been brutal,” Antelope Valley coach Brett Pape said. “We were playing 7-on-7 at Antelope Valley College on the artificial turf, and it had to be 130degrees on that turf. Just brutal. The heat makes it a lot tougher.”

Like many schools, Antelope Valley has already taken its mandatory three-week break. There is a lot to get done, too, as the Antelopes have two quarterbacks competing — junior Daniel Jaegers and freshman Noa Matthews.

Jaegers is 5 feet 8 and Matthews is 6-3, but they both weigh just 150 pounds.

“Matthews is a skinny kid but he has a heck of an arm,” Pape said.

Travion Tucker was the starting quarterback last year but has switched to receiver, and the 6-3, 180-pounder has proved to be a natural in 7-on-7 matchups, Pape said.

“Once we moved Travion to receiver, he started taking over games,” Pape said. “In a game against Birmingham, he scored four touchdowns. He’s played well against Westlake, Hart, all of these schools.”

Montclair Prep was hurt when several top returning players transferred to Chaminade of West Hills this past winter, but the Mounties have welcomed a group of incoming transfers, too, including Valencia seniors Wyatt Hixon (linebacker) and Stephen Rawls (defensive tackle) and junior Jordan Riley (linebacker), along with running back Blair Stone, who played in Texas.

Hixon recorded 23 tackles last season and is a kickoff specialist. Rawls had 23 tackles and three sacks. As for Stone, the junior has stood out in practice, Greaves said.

“I think he’s going to be really good. You can tell, he looks like a player,” Greaves said.

Meanwhile, at Alemany of Mission Hills, the Warriors are beginning a three-week break next week – just in time to dodge the heat.

Mitchell bench presses 405 pounds, and Woods has committed to USC as a defensive lineman.

Doubling up

Oaks Christian of Westlake Village’s Blair Holliday is juggling football and basketball this summer, and the 6-3 receiver is a standout in both sports.

“I’m going to Duke for a football visit, and I also might visit Boise State because they just offered me a scholarship,” Holliday said. “I’m going to Las Vegas next week for a big basketball tournament, and that’s going to be the first time college coaches can make contact, so we’ll see what happens.”

Holliday, who caught 48 passes and scored eight touchdowns last season, has six football offers, including Colorado State, San Diego State and New Mexico State.

“I’ll play football or hoops — whatever’s the best fit for me,” Holliday said.

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